Today, Phil Sharp said that he was ‘ecstatic’ to have set the first sailing record for the tip-to-tip challenge after he yesterday completed the 620-nautical mile route in 83 hours and 53 minutes.
The 34-year-old set off with Discovery Channel adventurer Sean Conway and Alex Alley on Friday and the trio crossed the finish line in the north of Scotland at 8.47 pm and 15 seconds.
Mr Sharp, who won the 2006 Route du Rhum transatlantic race, set up the Length of Britain challenge to train for the solo Vendee Globe race around the world in November. Today he said that it was ‘extremely exciting’ to think that the race was less than a year away.
Mr Sharp, the 2006 Channel Island Sports Personality of the Year, added: ‘It was a challenging challenge. It was probably as tough as I was expecting it to be. We had some very relentless weather. There were times when there was a lot more wind than forecast and, ironically, times when there were a lot less wind than forecast.
‘We had to make the most of the conditions to push the boat to its limit the whole time.’
After being forced to delay their departure by 48 hours due to adverse weather, the trio left Land’s End at 8.55 am on Friday.
Describing crossing the finish line, Mr Sharp said: ‘It was really a very special feeling to come this far north in such a short time. The scenery and the landscape here is so different to the south of Britain.
‘We had an incredible day yesterday. It was very cold but the sun came out and later we could see the Northern Lights as well.’
The challenge, which was in aid of Brain Tumour Research, raised more than £1,300.
